Elinor Young's Weblog

Stuck In the Snow

I didn’t make it to church today, but it wasn’t for not trying. Last night we got fresh dry snow on top of the previous crusty snow. No big deal except that with the new snow came high winds. I didn’t realize that the snow was drifted too high for my Honda until I turned the corner to head down my driveway and got stuck. We native Spokanites know all the tricks for snow driving, but none of them worked. I couldn’t get unstuck. I had to abandon the car and walk back to the house, which wasn’t very far I suppose. Unless you are a crutch and full-leg brace user and the snow is ten inches deep at best with ice underneath. And you don’t have boots. And are wearing a dress.

Needless to say, I prayed all the way to the house. If I fell I could not have got back up. Crawling is very difficult with full-leg braces. Add deep snow and a dress … well, you get the picture. But I didn’t fall; I made it.

That is something to ponder. Did I make it because of fear-motivated focus and luck, or did the Lord come alongside and help keep me on my feet? Is He really that personal? Does the Sustainer of the Universe truly care about one little woman’s request for help in the snow? Yes. I’ve seen Him come to my rescue too many times to believe otherwise. One time you may chalk up to luck or coincidence, but there is such a thing as “a preponderance of evidence.” So many such incidents that they by far beat the odds of happenstance.

Can I then presume upon His protection or rescue and recklessly get myself into dumb fixes knowing God will bail me out? No. Though He has promised to always be present with me, He did not promise that the way would always be smooth. What if I had fallen? Could I then say He had abandoned me? No again. I’m theologically getting in deeper than a snowdrift here, but I believe that any child of God through true faith in Jesus Christ as He is revealed in the Bible, can bank on the Lord’s presence even while freezing to death in a snowbank. Because God’s perspective of things is so eternally above anything we can imagine, His “no” in answer to our requests is as merciful as His “yes.” It is always the right one. What peace of mind that gives!

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One thought on “Stuck In the Snow”

Thanks for writing that. Ever since the day I met you, you have challenged me in so many ways! This article reminds me to thank God in every circumstance. I tend to complain and grumble when things go wrong…like when my car got stuck SEVERAL times this winter in our LONG driveway, and a couple times we’ve had to pull all our groceries on a sled from our mailbox to the house…you’d think that being an MK from a third world country I would be grateful and not complain about such petty things (maybe I’ve become spoiled here in the US and now take things for granted). Anyway, I did finally plop myself in the snow after going after the 2nd load of groceries and look up at the sky in tears and thank God for the snow and the beautiful place He’s given to us. The Bible reminds me “In EVERYTHING give thanks!”